Japanese 3DS Launch Games — Famitsu Review Scores

[Tyeforce]

nintendogs + cats ? 10/9/9/10 (38/40)
Super Monkey Ball 3D ? 9/8/8/7 (32/40)
Ridge Racer 3D ? 8/8/7/9 (32/40)
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles ? 9/9/8/8 (34/40)
Super Street Fighter IV 3D ? 9/8/8/9 (34/40)
PES 2011 3D ? 8/8/8/8 (32/40)
Professor Layton and the Mask or Miracle ? 8/8/8/8 (32/40)

 

[Bulerias]

nintendogs + cats – 10/9/9/10 (38/40)
Super Street Fighter IV 3D – 9/8/8/9 (34/40)
Professor Layton and the Mask or Miracle – 8/8/8/8 (32/40)

Layton and a near-perfect port of SSFIV scoring lower than a virtual pet simulator? Uhh.

 

[Jas0n]

Layton and a near-perfect port of SSFIV scoring lower than a virtual pet simulator? Uhh.

Lmao, I thought the same. Really don't see what's so amazing about Nintendogs.

 

[Tyeforce]

Lmao, I thought the same. Really don't see what's so amazing about Nintendogs.

Have you played the first one?

Anyway, it seems that nintendogs + cats is getting the best reception out of all the Japanese launch games, not only from Famitsu. It's said to have the best 3D, the best features, the best overall experience, etc.

 

[Psychonaut]

Have you played the first one?

Anyway, it seems that nintendogs + cats is getting the best reception out of all the Japanese launch games, not only from Famitsu. It's said to have the best 3D, the best features, the best overall experience, etc.

i'll give it the 3d/experience.. but nintendogs alone is not a game i would give a perfect score..
it's fun for a while, but gets repetitive and boring real fast.

i dunno. maybe i just have no imagination with what's different about this walk from my last one, or how every time i bump into a character, they say the same thing..

OH WELL. not for me.

 

[Tyeforce]

i'll give it the 3d/experience.. but nintendogs alone is not a game i would give a perfect score..
it's fun for a while, but gets repetitive and boring real fast.

i dunno. maybe i just have no imagination with what's different about this walk from my last one, or how every time i bump into a character, they say the same thing..

OH WELL. not for me.

You avoided my first question; Have you played the first one?

And, yes, it may not be your type of game, but that doesn't mean it's a good game nonetheless. There are many games that just aren't my type of game, especially on non-Nintendo consoles, but that doesn't mean they're not good games. Also, Famitsu gave the original nintendogs for Nintendo DS a perfect 40/40 score, so it's nothing new for a pet sim game to get a great review score. It may not be very much of a game in the traditional sense, but it's still very much a game, and a great one at that.

 

[Psychonaut]

You avoided my first question; Have you played the first one?

yes. i played it quite a bit, as i recall.
i just assumed it should show, since i knew the faults of the game.. eh.

it was fun for a while, but it really failed in the sense of longevity.. and i really feel like multiplayer could've been done better (like, at all.. two single player sides was kinda.. meh). there just wasn't enough to do to keep you attached.

 

[Tyeforce]

yes. i played it quite a bit, as i recall.
i just assumed it should show, since i knew the faults of the game.. eh.

it was fun for a while, but it really failed in the sense of longevity.. and i really feel like multiplayer could've been done better (like, at all.. two single player sides was kinda.. meh). there just wasn't enough to do to keep you attached.

Well, it's a good thing that nintendogs + cats expands on those areas then, isn't it?

 

[Psychonaut]

Well, it's a good thing that nintendogs + cats expands on those areas then, isn't it?

well.. longevity's difficult to review, unless they've had it for longer than release.. but i would hope they did improve upon it.

also, is there a link to a detailed review, or nah?

 

[Tyeforce]

well.. longevity's difficult to review, unless they've had it for longer than release.. but i would hope they did improve upon it.

also, is there a link to a detailed review, or nah?

Famitsu's review summaries are rather short, being only a paragraph long, but here it is:

The play style hasn't changed much from the old game, but Nintendogs + Cats still has plenty of new surprises. The 'cute' level of the puppies and kittens has really shot up from the first one, and just watching their expressions and mannerisms is a great stress relief. The sheer fuzziness factor on all the pets is too cute. Watching them totter around in 3D is so calming, and the act of petting them has much more of a you-are-there feel to it. Keeping a dog and cat together gives you a huge number of must-see moments, and the ability to interact quickly and easily with other pet owners is great.

And I know there are other longer, more in depth reviews out there, too.

 

[Psychonaut]

Famitsu's review summaries are rather short, being only a paragraph long, but here it is:

And I know there are other longer, more in depth reviews out there, too.

i'll try and find another.. thanks for posting that one, though.

i think what i was meaning to say was not that the interactions themselves were not enough.. but the "game" aspect of it was what was lacking.. but eh.

i couldn't voice-train my pet for the life of me. :<

 

[Bulerias]

Have you played the first one?

Anyway, it seems that nintendogs + cats is getting the best reception out of all the Japanese launch games, not only from Famitsu. It's said to have the best 3D, the best features, the best overall experience, etc.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I have played the first one. In fact, I got a pre-release version from Nintendo back in the day. In terms of tech, it's definitely interesting and worth playing at least once. As far as its worth as an actual game, though... give me a break. Why would anyone care about the game having "better 3D" than the other launch titles? I buy games based on many things, graphics included, but 3D is a novelty that will wear off eventually. It adds nothing beyond a coolness factor. Street Fighter IV, on the other hand, is a proven multiplayer game. I'll undoubtedly get hours out of it on the go. Layton is the sequel to four other great DS games...

 

[Tyeforce]

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I have played the first one. In fact, I got a pre-release version from Nintendo back in the day. In terms of tech, it's definitely interesting and worth playing at least once. As far as its worth as an actual game, though... give me a break. Why would anyone care about the game having "better 3D" than the other launch titles? I buy games based on many things, graphics included, but 3D is a novelty that will wear off eventually. It adds nothing beyond a coolness factor. Street Fighter IV, on the other hand, is a proven multiplayer game. I'll undoubtedly get hours out of it on the go. Layton is the sequel to four other great DS games...

We get it, you prefer more hardcore games. Not everyone's like that, though. I'd take nintendogs + cats over Street Fighter any day.

And, yeah, 3D is just a novelty, one that is completely optional, but making better use of it is always better, right? And of course after awhile it's not going to have the same "wow" factor that it had when you first saw it, but that still doesn't make it any less cool.

 

[Psychonaut]

We get it, you prefer more hardcore games. Not everyone's like that, though. I'd take nintendogs + cats over Street Fighter any day.

And, yeah, 3D is just a novelty, one that is completely optional, but making better use of it is always better, right? And of course after awhile it's not going to have the same "wow" factor that it had when you first saw it, but that still doesn't make it any less cool.

it's not a matter of being hardcore or not
it's about playing games that have.. gameplay.

the original nintendogs, beyond playing with your puppy, had little. you could take them for a walk, tournaments, and that was about it. after so long, it isn't worth playing, unless you have your own virtual dog-related goals in mind.

it's still a game.. but it's not one i would play compared to.. say.. this. which is hardly a hardcore game.. but has excellent gameplay, and has wonderfully devious puzzles.
i understand they're different genres completely.. but it's difficult to find another puppy simulator outside of petz.

it's not about being hardcore or not.. it's about having substance to enjoy. the models may look better, it may have a few more things to do.. but in the end it's still the same thing that was presented with the original.. but in 3d, and with cats.

i dunno. i still just hope they deal with the repetition issues that the original game had. even if it's just an increased name bank for your random encounters.. two houses you can alternate between that have two maps.. SOMETHING to break it out of that funk. i liked the original, but in retrospect, it was a waste of money.

 

[Bulerias]

it's not a matter of being hardcore or not
it's about playing games that have.. gameplay.

the original nintendogs, beyond playing with your puppy, had little. you could take them for a walk, tournaments, and that was about it. after so long, it isn't worth playing, unless you have your own virtual dog-related goals in mind.

it's still a game.. but it's not one i would play compared to.. say.. this. which is hardly a hardcore game.. but has excellent gameplay, and has wonderfully devious puzzles.
i understand they're different genres completely.. but it's difficult to find another puppy simulator outside of petz.

it's not about being hardcore or not.. it's about having substance to enjoy. the models may look better, it may have a few more things to do.. but in the end it's still the same thing that was presented with the original.. but in 3d, and with cats.

i dunno. i still just hope they deal with the repetition issues that the original game had. even if it's just an increased name bank for your random encounters.. two houses you can alternate between that have two maps.. SOMETHING to break it out of that funk. i liked the original, but in retrospect, it was a waste of money.

Right on. It has nothing to do with hardcore vs. casual games. You could convincingly argue that Professor Layton is a casual game, actually, but that doesn't mean it's not packed with content... Nintendogs is a very content light game. No amount of good press/reviews is going to change that.

 

[Ciaran]

Right on. It has nothing to do with hardcore vs. casual games. You could convincingly argue that Professor Layton is a casual game, actually, but that doesn't mean it's not packed with content... Nintendogs is a very content light game. No amount of good press/reviews is going to change that.

Famitsu as a review source...

Well, I wouldnt trust them anyway.

 

[Bacon Boy]

The thing about the 3D is that it's mainly depth-wise, opposed to popping out at the screen. It's not so much a gimmick as a different way to experience the game. Some games will have it pop out at you, while most, like OoT will be depth and maybe popping 3D. Some games utilize the DS as a gyroscope as well, such as the Namco game with Pac-Man and Galaga. Galaga has you moving the DS up, down, side-side to find the enemies. With Nintendogs, it looks like it'll be both depth and popping. They may have expanded on the gameplay, but it's a casual-laid back game with really no goal. It's a graphically-enhanced version of Petz and it's not as girly. I sold my Nintendogs games a while back and I mean a LONG while back. There was no replay value because there was no main goal to it. (Besides, I have a real dog.)

That's another view to look at. Those that cannot afford real pets, or cannot take care of them. The virtual pet simulators such as Nintendogs with its immersive technology gives life-like virtual pets to those that cannot have actual pets. I wouldn't think of Nintendogs as much as a game as it is a virtual pet simulator like those Tamagotchi things.

 

[Tyeforce]

Yes, nintendogs is light on content, but it's not about the content, just as owning a real dog isn't about content, lol. It's about the experience, and caring for your virtual pet. It's a different type of game, and can't really be compared to other types of games, nor should it be. Sure, nintendogs is no Mario or Zelda, but it sure is the type of game that I'd pick up and play a little everyday, unlike many other games. I guess you could compare nintendogs to Animal Crossing. nintendogs may not have as much to do as Animal Crossing, but again, it's not supposed to. But both games are similar in that they're meant to be played daily, providing a much longer experience over time than most other games, even if you're only playing it for a few minutes a day.

 

[Psychonaut]

Yes, nintendogs is light on content, but it's not about the content, just as owning a real dog isn't about content, lol. It's about the experience, and caring for your virtual pet. It's a different type of game, and can't really be compared to other types of games, nor should it be. Sure, nintendogs is no Mario or Zelda, but it sure is the type of game that I'd pick up and play a little everyday, unlike many other games. I guess you could compare nintendogs to Animal Crossing. nintendogs may not have as much to do as Animal Crossing, but again, it's not supposed to. But both games are similar in that they're meant to be played daily, providing a much longer experience over time than most other games, even if you're only playing it for a few minutes a day.

i think you're missing my main argument against it..
yes, i understand that it is not to be compared to other games directly.. that's foolish, my link was mainly to show that i care little whether or not a game is considered hardcore/casual.

my main problem with the game is that, because it does not have as much content, or whatever you want to say, it has less replay value, and will not keep my interest for the span of months. there is not the wide assortment of things to do outside of simply playing with your puppy.. and while it isn't meant to be played for hours on end, even if you're sitting down for five minutes every day to pet and feed your virtual pooch, there isn't a lot of variety after day 2.. 3.. 4..

i hope that the game is livened up in that aspect, so that the obvious repetitive nature of the game is toned down in a way that does not change its own gameplay, but that adds more depth to whats already there..

a few more tricks to teach, a few more options of dog food.. i dunno. just a bit more variety. once you stock up on 99x food, water, toys.. clothes.. there's not a whole lot left to do..

i dunno. just not my kind of game, i guess. i do like it, but i think it could be done a little better. hopefully they fixed it with this one.